Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin discusses opportunities and innovation happening in the Mountain State as a result of federal funding with two West Virginia-based POWER grantees, Dave Clark (Woodlands Development Group) and Victoria Stansberry (Lewis County Commission).
Gayle Conelly Manchin was sworn in as the Appalachian Regional Commission’s thirteenth federal co-chair on May 6, 2021, becoming the first ARC federal co-chair from West Virginia. Nominated by President Biden, Manchin works directly with ARC’s 13 member governors, their state alternates and program managers, and a network of local development districts to continue to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth throughout Appalachia.
An alumna of West Virginia University, Manchin worked as an educator in Marion County Schools, served on the faculty of Fairmont State University, and was the director of the university’s first Community Service Learning Program. She directed the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in West Virginia between 2000-2004 and implemented a statewide initiative, WV Partnerships to Assure Student Success. Manchin previously served as West Virginia’s First Lady between 2005-2010 and was appointed to serve as a member of the State Board of Education, serving her last two years as president. She was the chair of the Board for Reconnecting McDowell, Inc., an AFT initiative serving rural West Virginia, is a past president of the Vandalia Rotary Club of Charleston, and was an emeritus member of The Education Alliance. She also served as cabinet secretary for the West Virginia Office of Education and the Arts.
Manchin’s top priorities as ARC federal co-chair are to support the creation of economic opportunities in the Appalachian Region, improve broadband access and critical infrastructure in Appalachian communities, and address the Region’s opioid crisis.
Dave Clark is the Executive Director of Woodlands Development Group, a Community Development Corporation, and Woodlands Community Lenders, a certified Community Development Financial Institution. He manages programs related to new housing development and housing rehabilitation, downtown redevelopment, community facilities and planning, and small business lending. He is an AICP Certified Planner, is the current Chair of the Fahe WV Caucus, and serves on the boards of CommunityWorks in WV, the Virginia Community Development Fund, and the WV Land Trust.
ARC POWER Project: Woodlands Route 33 Middle/Last Mile Fiber Deployment Project
Woodlands Development Group & Woodlands Community Lenders Website
Victoria Stansberry is the Project Coordinator for the Lewis County Blueprint Community. Before life serendipitously led her to community development in early 2021, her experiences included alumni relations, selling seafood and teaching world languages. As the product of a rural community, she is proud to continue the type of work she has no doubt benefitted from throughout the years. Victoria holds a bachelor’s degree of business administration from Evangel University where she graduated with honors. When she is not sweating a deadline, Victoria works to improve her French and Spanish or takes long drives dotted with frequent ice cream stops.
ARC POWER Project: Lewis County Greenways: A Feasibility Study
Lewis County Commission Website